Cystic Fibrosis Treatment and Phthalates

Most people are familiar with Cystic Fibrosis as a chronic, inherited disease that manifests itself as a thick mucus that lines the lungs and impairs breathing in its victims. What I didn't know until today is that it also affects the pancreas and prevents proper absorption of nutrients from food, because of the effect it has on enzyme production.

Many people who suffer from CF take enzymes to aid their digestion. According to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF), enzyme therapy has played a role in the doubling of the median survival age of CF sufferers over the past 25 years. This information was provided in a notice by the CCFF alerting it's readers that children taking enzymes have been found to have elevated levels of phthalates in their urine as a result. The phthalates originate from the capsules and are included in their manufacture to aid the movement of food from the stomach into the intestines, where nutrients are absorbed. The notice was published in September 2008, in response to study findings, and because of increasing public awareness and concern over the toxicity of phthalates that leach from plastics, oils, detergents and other commercial products. However, the CCFF has stated that there are no known toxic effects on humans from the phthalates used in the pancreatic enzyme coatings, and that the benefits of taking the drugs outweigh the risks i.e. the precautionary principle in reverse.